For all stargazers, January is a good time to dust off your telescope. This month, a green comet will be visible in the night sky for the first time in 50,000 years. You need a telescope or binoculars to see it clearly.
NDBG
Last updated:
10-01-23, 3:01 p.m
Source:
CNN, NASA
The comet was discovered on March 2 last year by an observatory in San Diego, United States. The comet also orbits our sun, but it is located at a very distant point in our solar system. Because of its great distance, it takes a long time before it makes a complete circumnavigation of the Sun, at least 50,000 years.
Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere will be able to see the green comet for the first time before midnight on January 12th. It is best to look down at the northeast horizon and use a telescope or binoculars.
The icy comet glows brighter as it approaches its closest point to the Sun. After passing there, the comet will also reach its closest point to Earth on February 1 and 2. That’s about 42 million kilometers. Until then, the comet can be seen with the help of a telescope or binoculars. You can then look best at the height of the North Star.
green glow
NASA reports that “for most of January, the comet can be seen in the morning with binoculars.” At least for people who live in the northern hemisphere. The best way to spot a comet in the Southern Hemisphere is in early February.”
If the comet starts to shine brighter, it will be visible to the naked eye. Provided that it is not cloudy and that there is a black sky. You can identify the comet by the tail trailing behind it and the green glow around it. This glow is created because the ice instantly turns to gas due to the sun’s proximity.
See also. Stargazing has been taken to a whole new level in 2022 with the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. What does James Webb look like and what are they doing with him?
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